The contracts of 11 teachers recruited from Egypt was cancelled after they tested positive for Hepatitis C, while the offshore contracts for 30 others in Jordan have yet to be completed as per the correspondence from the cultural attaché, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources from the Ministry of Education.

Sources disclosed some female teachers who signed offshore contracts with the ministry have not completed procedures related to pregnancy. Sources affirmed 120 teachers from Egypt are expected to arrive after the resumption of work for educational staff on Sept 6 due to booking problems in Kuwait Airways flights coming from Egypt.

Sources said the ministry had asked Kuwait Airways to provide additional flights to avoid delay in the arrival of these teachers but all efforts in this regard proved futile. Sources added the ministry proposed substitute seats in Egypt Air flights according to an agreement to switch seats between the two airlines, but that request was also ignored. Sources said the ministry faced certain difficulties in completing recruitment procedures, such as the requirement of its interior counterpart that the passports should be valid for at least two years.

Sources confirmed 588 teachers from Egypt and Jordan, who signed contracts with the ministry, have completed procedures in their countries; and the expected arrival dates are from Aug 16 to Sept 10. Sources said 402 teachers out of 415 from Egypt have received their official documents from the concerned authorities, in addition to 168 out of 200 from Jordan.

Sources disclosed this is the first time that the procedures related to the offshore contracts with the ministry surpassed 90 percent compared to 75 percent in previous years. On a related issue, Ministry of Education’s Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Affairs Fatima Al- Kandari has affirmed the distribution of 70 percent of books to the schools.

She pointed out the mini-stores in the educational districts were given 500 additional copies to be ready in case of shortage. She said the Public Education Sector has been coordinating with its curriculums counterpart to deliver all the books before the new academic year starts. On the new schools in Sabah Al- Ahmad, Al-Kandari revealed four schools – two kindergartens and two primary schools – have been handed over to the ministry.

She added several others will be handed over soon in coordination with the State Ministry for Housing Affairs, indicating the Ministry of Education is now ready to operate these schools.